phaser
/ˈfeɪzɚ/
"phaser" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“phaser” is uncommon English (frequency #53,163 among 46,516 “P” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #53,163
- frequency rank, English
- 46,516
- “P” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An electronic device that produces special effects on the sound produced by an electric guitar etc.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | phaser |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈfeɪzɚ/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #53,163 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “phaser” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
phaser is uncommon English at frequency #53,163 among 46,516 “P” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfeɪzɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for phaser in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: * (science fiction): For the fictional weapon coined for Star Trek: originally a "ph(oton ma)ser," later changed canonically to a "phas(ed)-e(nergy) r(ectifier)" (of "nadions", not photons). * (phase modulation): phase + -er The correct English form is phaser, spelled P-H-A-S-E-R.
Definition
- 1An electronic device that produces special effects on the sound produced by an electric guitar etc.
- 2Fictional energy weapon, with multiple settings for degree of intensity, from the television series Star Trek (1966–69).
- 3A phase modulator
- 4Alternative form of PHASR.
Etymology
* (science fiction): For the fictional weapon coined for Star Trek: originally a "ph(oton ma)ser," later changed canonically to a "phas(ed)-e(nergy) r(ectifier)" (of "nadions", not photons). * (phase modulation): phase + -er
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “phaser”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-H-A-S-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈfeɪzɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.